Guide arrangement for guide walls

ABSTRACT

The invention is concerned with producing a visual guiding effect for guide walls which are difficult to see particularly at dusk and in the dark. According to the invention, the guide arrangement comprises a holder which is to be mounted on the guide wall and is provided with a retaining arm, which is elastically resilient at least in the horizontal direction, and a guide member which is mounted on the retaining arm by a coupling device and is provided on at least one side with a guide face which is clearly visible even in conditions of poor visibility.

On trunk roads, which have heavy vehicular traffic and where a centralstrip with protective panels is usually disposed between the roadways,rigid guide walls are erected in an area of long-term roadworks as ameans for guiding the contraflows of traffic on one side of the roadwayat the boundary between the roadways. Such walls generally comprise wallsections of a relatively short length, which are interconnected by meansof coupling devices at their end faces to form a continuous guide wall.These guide walls have a height of approx. 820 mm and a width at thebase of approx. 600 mm. the base is provided on both sides with upwardlyinclined deflection faces. Thereabove, the guide walls have anapproximately cuboid configuration. When viewed in vertical section,there is a neck-shaped constriction in the upper region, and saidconstriction is upwardly defined by a hammer-head-shaped portion. Theguide walls are sometimes produced as hollow plastics material bodies,which are weighted with a filling of water or sand, or they are producedfrom metal, likewise as hollow bodies, and they are additionallyweighted with a filler substance depending on the actual weightattained. Other guide walls are configured as solid moulded concreteparts.

Because of their great weight and the resultant stability, the guidewalls have a good deflection effect against colliding vehicles which arethereby safeguarded from moving into the opposite roadway and causingserious accidents there. However, the deflection effect cannot prevent acolliding motor vehicle from skidding in its own roadway and causing anaccident, more especially when this roadway has two lanes, in that thedeflected and possibly skidding vehicle strikes vehicles travellingparallel thereto or collides with them or is struck by subsequentvehicles. In consequence, the guide walls should also provide a minimumamount of visual guidance in addition to their purely mechanicaldeflection effect, so that a collision is also avoided. Because of theirnature, however, guide walls made of metal and, even more, guide wallsmade of concrete provide only a minimal, inherent visual guidance, moreespecially at dusk and in the dark. This visual guidance is quiteconsiderably worsened when the guide walls have become wet during rainor as a result of water sprayed on their external surfaces. The concretewalls in particular then have an even duller and darker appearance thanin their dry state. They are thereby scarcely distinguished from a darkwet roadway. When the vehicle drivers are travelling along said roadway,this causes considerably uncertainty, leading to anxiety and stiffness,as a result of which the risk or colliding with the guide wall or evenwith vehicles travelling parallel thereto is even increased by the guidewall.

A guide arrangement for guide walls is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,564,984. In the known guide arrangement, a retaining foot is provided,which laterally abuts against a guide panel or the like with an abutmentface. A guide member, which is provided with a guide face, is connectedto the retaining foot by a type of bayonet closure. There is noprovision for changing the dimensions of the guide arrangement.Likewise, there is little assurance that the retaining arm, whichprotrudes laterally from the retaining foot, can easily yield with theguide member if struck by a vehicle.

An alternative guide arrangement is described in FR-A-2 615 540. In theembodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 of this publication, which relates to themounting of the guide arrangement on a guide wall, a clamp is provided,which is slipped from above over the guide wall, and the arms of whichclamp have holders mounted thereon with the interposition of a plate.Guide members, which are provided with a reflective guide face and canassume a slight inclined position, are disposed on the holders. There isno retaining arm here, which protrudes from a retaining foot, and thereis also no mention of the guide members being elastically resilient.

The basic object of the invention is to develop further a guidearrangement of the type which is presumed known, so that it is possibleto change its horizontal dimensions, yet such arrangement has a verysimple configuration and can avoid damaging colliding vehicles.

This object is achieved with an arrangement having the features of thepresent invention.

The guide arrangement can be mounted by means of its retaining foot onthe side of the guide walls, especially in the region of the neck-shapedconstriction, at certain spacings one behind the other. In consequence,the guide face of its guide member faces the stream of traffic flowingalong and is already distinguished clearly by the guide walls andprovides a clearly visible visual guidance without adversely affectingthis guiding effect, the guide arrangement can be so selected in respectof its horizontal dimensions and disposition that it does not protrudebeyond the outline projection of the base of the guide walls. If some ofthem are nevertheless struck by a vehicle, their retaining arm yieldsresiliently, so that the guide member is moved out of the sphere ofmovement of the vehicle and can return again into its old position afterthe vehicle has passed. The component parts of the guide arrangement areproduced advantageously from a plastics material which, on the one hand,is elastically resilient and, on the other hand, is very tough, wherebythe visibility of the guide arrangement, more especially of the guidemember, is not reduced even when wet, so that at least the guidearrangements remain clearly visible even if the guide walls are scarcelydistinguishable from their surrounds. Because of the coupling device,the holder and the guide member can be produced separately from eachother. If one of the two component parts becomes damaged, the othercomponent part can continue to be used.

With a limited horizontal expansion of the guide arrangement, however, arelatively large guide face is provided by a guide member which has anapproximately rectilinear configuration.

Despite the relatively large dimensions of the guide member, acircumferential reinforcing rib ensures adequate stability of shape,which is advantageous for its guiding effect.

In a further embodiment, the holder is provided with a relatively simplebasic configuration which can accordingly be produced inexpensively. Theretaining foot can also be relatively easily mounted on the guide walls.The reinforcing rib on the retaining arm ensures that, despite theretaining foot having adequate resilience, there is a minimum amount ofrestoring force, so that the guide member rapidly returns again into itsoperative position if it has temporarily been pushed aside by acolliding vehicle. This is also supported by a further embodimentcomprising multiple reinforcing ribs.

In a still further embodiment, the guide member can be rotated relativeto the retaining arm about the longitudinal axis of the headed screw andset, so that the guide member can also be orientated vertically when theholder is inclined upwardly or downwardly, because the mounting locationof the retaining foot is not vertically orientated. The same alsoapplies to an embodiment, where additionally the headed screw isnon-detachably formed partially on the guide member. Such an arrangementalso facilitates and accelerates the assembly of the guide arrangement,which is of great significance especially when guide members have to bereplaced on a guide wall, past which the traffic flows.

A further development facilitates the shaping of the headed screw on theguide member. Furthermore, in such case, both the guide member and theretaining arm are reinforced at the coupling location, so that they havegreater durability.

With another embodiment of the invention, it is possible to adjust theguide member relative to the holder in a horizontal direction within acertain range. The guide arrangement can therefore be adjusted moreeasily to guide walls having a variable outline.

In an additional embodiment, the coupling device operates withform-locking, which has the advantage that the position of the guidemember is still maintained even if the screw connection has a certainamount of looseness. Other embodiments to a particular type ofform-locking, which permits the position of the guide member to bechanged relative to the spacing from the guide wall and relative to theinclination from the vertical.

A particularly simple adjustment device is provided by an embodiment,where there is only one loose component part for the screw connection.Embodiments of the invention which have colored markings or a reflectivefilm on the guide face of the guide member improve quite considerablythe visual guiding effect of the guide arrangement.

The invention is explained more fully hereinafter with reference toembodiments illustrated in the drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a guide wall having a guide arrangement mountedthereon;

FIG. 2 is a view of the guide arrangement on its own;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the guide arrangement, shownpartially in section;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the guide arrangement;

FIG. 5 is a view of a holder for the guide arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the holder for the guidearrangement, shown partially in section;

FIG. 7 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 2, of a modified embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 3, of the subject-matter of FIG.7;

FIG. 9 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 5, of the subject-matter ofFIGS. 7 and 8;

FIG. 10 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 6, of the same subject-matter;and

FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of the vertical sectional view of theguide member of the guide arrangement.

A guide wall 10, having a guide arrangement 11 mounted thereon, isapparent from FIG. 1.

The guide wall element 10 is configured as a shaped reinforced concretepart. The element has a height of approx. 820 mm and a length of approx.1000 mm. It has a base 12, which has a width of approx. 600 mm. The base12 has an upwardly inclined deflection face 13 on both sides. Anapproximately cuboid central portion 14 is connected to the base 12.When viewed in vertical section, said central portion extends into aneck portion 15, to which is connected a head portion 16 in an upwarddirection. Two coupling elements 17 and 18 are provided on each of thetwo end faces of the guide wall element 10 and each have a through-slot,said through-slots being in alignment with each other in a verticaldirection. The coupling elements 17 and 18 are on the line of symmetryat variable spacings from each other and at varying heights, so that thecoupling elements can be brought to coincide with each other in avertical direction when a plurality of guide wall elements are coupledtogether to form a continuous guide wall, and then a coupling pin, whichis not shown, can be inserted into each of the through-slots, wherebythe elements adjacent one another are interconnected.

Guide arrangements 11 are disposed on a continuous guide wall at certainspacings from one another, i.e. on individual guide wall elements 10.They are generally mounted in the region of the neck portion 15, that isto say screw-connected thereto by means of dowels and headed screws.

A guide arrangement 11 has a guide member 21 and a holder 22, whichcomponent parts are interconnected by means of a coupling device 23.

The guide member 21 has an approximate rectangular configuration (FIG.2), the upper edge region of which is curved in a slightly arcuatemanner. The guide member 21 has a guide face 24 on the side remote fromthe holder 22. Said guide face is surrounded at the edge by acircumferential reinforcing rib 25 (FIG. 3). The guide member 21 isproduced from an elastically resilient, but very tough plasticsmaterial.

The holder 22 has a retaining foot 26 and a retaining arm 27 (FIG. 4 toFIG. 6). The holder 22 is configured as a one-piece shaped plasticsmaterial part and is produced from an elastically resilient and verytough plastics material, that is to say generally from the same plasticsmaterial as the guide member 21. The retaining foot 26 has anapproximately rectangular configuration (FIG. 6). Its external surfaceremote from the retaining arm 27 forms the abutment face 28 of theretaining foot 26 for abutment against the guide wall element 10. Atleast one pair of through-slots 29 are provided in the retaining foot 26and serve to secure the holder 22 on the guide wall element 10.

The retaining arm 27 is oriented normally relative to the abutment face28. The main portion 31 of the retaining arm 27 has at least anapproximately leaf-shaped configuration and has a rectangular outlinesubsequent to the retaining foot 26 and a semi-circular outlinethereafter. The main portion 31 is provided along its edge with acircumferential reinforcing rib 32 which is disposed on the side remotefrom the guide member 21. In the region of the retaining foot 26, thiscircumferential reinforcing rib 32 passes into a respective supportingrib 33 which extends towards the edge of the retaining foot 26. There isno circumferential reinforcing rib, in fact, on the side facing theguide member 21, but a respective supporting rib 34 is fitted which isconfigured and disposed in a similar manner to the two supporting ribs33 on the other side.

The coupling device 23 (FIG. 3) has a headed screw 35 as well as a nut36 and a washer 37. The head and the subsequent portion of the shank ofthe headed screw 35 are so shaped in the guide member 21 that thethreaded shank on the side remote from the guide face 24 protrudes fromthe guide member 21 and is thereby orientated normally relative to theabutment face 24. An extension 38, with a flat end face 39, is fitted onthe guide member 21 on the side remote from the guide face 24 in theregion of the screw 35. The extension 38 additionally surrounds the headof the headed screw 35 and the first portion of its shank and therebysimultaneously reinforces the guide member 21. The extension 38 has acircular cross-section and is configured either as a circular cylinderor as a truncated cone with a very small conical angle.

A through-slot for the shank of the headed screw 35 is provided on theretaining arm 27 as an additional part of the coupling device 23. Thisthrough-slot is configured as elongate slot 41 (FIG. 5). In the regionof this elongate slot 41, a recess 42 is provided on the side of theretaining arm 27 facing the guide member 21, the circumferential wall 43of said recess being equidistant from the circumferential wall of theelongate slot 41, whereby the base of the recess 42 is flat. The recess42 accommodates the extension 38 of the guide member 21 and isaccordingly adapted to the shape and dimensions thereof, whereby the fitbetween the circumferential wall of the extension 38 and the recess 42is tighter than that between the circumferential wall of the elongateslot 41 and the threaded shank of the headed screw 35. In the region ofthe recess 42, the main portion 31 of the retaining arm 27 on the sideremote from the guide member has a curved portion 44 (FIG. 6), so thatthe retaining arm 27 is not weakened by the recess 42.

The guide face 24 of the guide member 21 is advantageously covered witha reflective film 45 whereby the inclinedly extending strips painted redand white alternate with one another in conventional manner, asillustrated in FIG. 1.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 11 corresponds basically to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. The type of connection between theguide member and the retaining arm is different.

The coupling device 23 has an adjustment device 45. One part of theadjustment device 45 is formed by an external toothing 46, which isfitted on the circumferential face of the extension 38 of the guidemember 21. The other part of the adjustment device 45 is formed by aninternal toothing 47, which is adapted to the external toothing 46 andis disposed on the rectilinear portions of the circumferential wall 43of the recess 42 extending parallel to the elongate slot 41. Independence on the spacing between the external toothing 46 and theinternal toothing 47, the guide member 21 can be adjusted to differentfixed rotary positions relative to the retaining arm 27, that is to sayindependently of the horizontal relative position of the extension 38 inthe recess 42. Conversely, the spacing between the guide member 21 andthe retaining foot 26 internally of the length of the elongate slot 41and of the recess 42 can be adjusted independently of the rotaryposition of the guide member 21.

Contrary to the coupling device according to claims 1 to 6, where theconnection is established by friction-locking, the operation is effectedwith form-locking in the embodiment according to FIGS. 7 to 11. Theform-locking is achieved when the external toothing 46 engages in theinternal toothing 47 in any desired rotary positions and at any desiredspacing from the guide wall. The use of form-locking ensures that, evenif the screw-connection possibly becomes loose, the position of theguide member is still maintained.

I claim:
 1. Guide arrangement for guide walls, comprising:a. a holder(22) comprising a retaining foot (26) that has an abutment face fororientation towards a guide wall and a securing means (29) disposed inthe retaining foot, and wherein said holder further comprises aretaining arm (27) which protrudes from the retaining foot (26) from aside remote from the abutment face (28) wherein said retaining arm iselastically resilient at least in the horizontal direction, b. a guidemember (21) comprising a guide face on at least one side, c. a couplingdevice (23) for coupling the guide member (21) to the retaining arm(27), wherein a headed screw (35) is fitted on the guide member (21) aspart of the coupling device (23) so that it protrudes from the guidemember (21) on a side remote from the guide face (24), and wherein saidretaining arm (27) further comprises a through-slot (41) in alignmentwith the headed screw (35), wherein said guide member further comprisesan extension (38) having a flat end face (39) aligned parallel to theguide member (21), wherein the extension (38) is in the region of theheaded screw on the guide member (21) on the side remote from the guideface (24), and wherein said retaining arm (27) further comprises arecess (42), which is adapted to the extension (38) of the guide member(21).
 2. Guide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guidemember (21) comprises an approximately rectangular configuration. 3.Guide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide member (21)further comprises a reinforcing rib (25) which extends along an edge ofsaid guide member.
 4. Guide arrangement according to claim 1, whereinsaid retaining foot (26) further comprises an approximately rectangularconfiguration with at least one pair of through-slots (29) which aredisposed in a horizontal direction with a mutual spacing between, andwherein said retaining arm (27) is disposed in the longitudinal centreof the retaining foot (26), wherein said retaining arm (27) has at leastan approximately leaf-shaped configuration, and wherein said retainingarm (27), on a side remote from the guide member (21), comprises acircumferential reinforcing rib (32) along its edge.
 5. Guidearrangement according to claim 4, wherein at a transitional locationbetween the retaining foot (26) and the retaining arm (27), said holderfurther comprises at least one respective reinforcing rib.
 6. Guidearrangement according to claim 4, wherein said holder further comprisestwo supporting ribs (33, 34), at a transitional location between theretaining foot (26) and the retaining arm (27), which are disposed onboth sides of the retaining arm, one above the other, with a mutualspacing between.
 7. Guide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein saidholder further comprises a through-slot (41) and wherein saidthrough-slot is part of the coupling device (23) which couples the guidemember (21) and the retaining arm (27), wherein a headed screw (35) withnut (36) is insertable into the through-slot.
 8. Guide arrangementaccording to claim 7, wherein the through-slot for the headed screw (35)comprises an elongated slot (41) in the retaining arm (27) and isorientated parallel to a longitudinal central axis of the retaining arm(27), and wherein the recess (42) comprises an elongated recess whichextends parallel to the elongated slot (41).
 9. Guide arrangementaccording to claim 1 or 8, wherein the extension (38) of the guidemember (21) comprises a circular cross-section.
 10. Guide arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein a headed screw (35) is fitted on the guidemember (21) as part of the coupling device (23) so that it protrudesfrom the guide member (21) on a side remote from the guide face (24),and wherein said retaining arm (27) further comprises a through-slot(41) in alignment with the headed screw (35).
 11. Guide arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein parts of the coupling device (23)co-operate by form-locking.
 12. Guide arrangement according to claim 1,wherein the guide face (24) of the guide member (21) comprises coloredmarkings.
 13. Guide arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the guideface (24) of the guide member (21) further comprises a reflective film(45).
 14. Guide arrangement for guide walls, comprising:a. a holder (22)comprising a retaining foot (26) that has an abutment face fororientation towards a guide wall and a securing means (29) disposed inthe retaining foot, and wherein said holder further comprises aretaining arm (27) which protrudes from the retaining foot (26) from aside remote from the abutment face (28) wherein said retaining arm iselastically resilient at least in the horizontal direction, b. a guidemember (21) comprising a guide face on at least one side, c. a couplingdevice (23) for coupling the guide member (21) to the retaining arm(27), wherein a headed screw (35) is fitted on the guide member (21) aspart of the coupling device (23) so that it protrudes from the guidemember (21) on a side remote from the guide face (24), and wherein saidretaining arm (27) further comprises a through-slot (41) in alignmentwith the headed screw (35), wherein said guide member further comprisesan extension (38) having a flat end face (39) aligned parallel to theguide member (21), wherein the extension (38) is in the region of theheaded screw on the guide member (21) on the side remote from the guideface (24), and wherein said retaining arm (27) further comprises arecess (42), which is adapted to the extension (38) of the guide member(21), wherein the extension (38) further comprises an external toothing(46) disposed on a circumferential face of the extension (38), whereinsaid extension comprises a circular cross-section, and wherein therecess (42) further comprises an internal toothing (47) on rectilinearportions of a circumferential wall (43) of the recess (42), whichportions extend parallel to the elongate slot (41), and wherein theinternal toothing (47) is adapted to the external toothing (46). 15.Guide arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the extension (38) ofthe guide member (21) further comprises a threaded portion and whereinthe headed screw (35) extends through the elongate slot (41) form a sideof the retaining arm (27) remote from the guide member (21) and isscrewed into the threaded portion (36).